Founded in 1992 by a group of uOttawa Fine Arts graduates, Enriched Bread Artists—located at one of Ottawa’s many heritage sites, the Standard Bread bakery—has hosted many talented members over the years. While its membership may have changed, it remains a great source of inspiration for many aspiring artists.
The installation. Photo provided by Christos Pantieras.
“This is now the longest-running independent artists’ co-op in Ottawa,” says Christos Pantieras, who has been with EBA for a total of 22 years. “There have been a lot of really great people that have come through the studios over the years,” he says. “Over the 30 years, there’s been over 100 artists that have rented studios here.”
According to Pantieras, EBA has even hosted artists from other co-ops, including European artists who came all the way from The Hague as part of a cultural exchange.
In honour of its 30th anniversary, EBA will host its annual Open Studios event, starting with opening night on Thursday, October 20 and running over the next two weekends, October 22-23 and 29-30. During that time, visitors will have a chance to enjoy a gallery show, special events, and more.
Landscape painting by Juliana McDonald. Photo provided by Christos Pantieras.
“The main thing is that people are able to see the artwork that the artists are showcasing. We have public common areas where everyone’s put out one piece for them to see, and to exhibit,” says Pantieras. “The studios are open: people can actually go into the spaces and see where the artists work, engage with the artists, talk to them and ask questions.”
A sculptor and installation artist, Pantieras’ primary focus is on human connections and how people engage and communicate with each other, in real life and online.
“My work in the past has been about looking for connections, especially within the gay community, being a gay man myself,” says Pantieras. “I would use text and correspondences in my work to make these sculptures or large-scale installations that showed elements of correspondence or elements of using letters as a sculpture material.”
One such example of his work that focuses on communication is his Welcome Back Project. “It’s a temporary public art piece that is also created through community engagement, where artists, members of the public, and also students from public schools were given blank welcome mats. And they were asked to respond to the question: What makes a welcoming community?” says Pantieras.
“I have about 150 welcome mats and I’ve actually carpeted my studio floor with them. So people are able to walk into my space on top of the mats,” says Pantieras. “They can lie down, they can sit down, they could run around, roll around, and so that’s what I’m showcasing in my studio.”
Welcome mats from the Welcome Back Project. Photo provided by Christos Pantieras.
While Pantieras’ welcome mats are only present for the show’s opening night on October 20, there is still a lot more for people to enjoy at EBA’s 30th Open Studio. These include a live-streamed performance of HAIR CUT PIECE by Rachel Kalpana James with Svetlana Swinimer on Sunday, Oct. 23, as well as an Artist Talk on Saturday, October 29, featuring Pantieras himself, during which he will provide a more detailed overview of The Welcome Back Project.
Another reason to visit EBA’s 30th-anniversary event is that this could be one of the last chances for people to celebrate EBA’s open studio at its current location.
“Our future is somewhat certain, yet also somewhat uncertain,” says Pantieras. “We’re not exactly sure when and if that’ll happen, because there are three condo towers that are being built right next door to us and the plan is to renovate the building and hand it back to the artists. But, you know, that remains to be seen. So, this could be our last open studio after 30 years.”
After more than two decades of being a member, Pantieras owes a lot to EBA, which has supported his visual arts career and helped him find many professional opportunities.
“I appreciate what I have been able to do because of having my studio here,” says Pantieras. “They’ve really contributed to being able to move my practice forward.”
For more details about Enriched Bread Ottawa’s 30th Anniversary Open Studio, visit their website.
